Sex and the West

Sexual Revolution

Season 1Episode 2SBSAugust 23, 2015

Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch continues his exploration of how Christianity has shaped western attitudes to sex, gender and sexuality through history. Travelling from North East England to Germany and Italy, he explains how the Christian church took control of marriage in the 11th century, turning a civil institution into a sacred rite of Christianity. And he reveals how the Protestant Reformation launched a sexual revolution.

Over a thousand years ago, in the south of Medieval Spain, Muslims, Christians and Jews lived side-by-side. The intertwining of their culture and beliefs saw the blossoming of great literature, architecture, philosophy, poetry and music. But greed, fear and intolerance saw this unique world vanish.

Between 1148 and 1250 turbulent times hit Iberia. Many Jews who were expelled, including the famous philosopher Moses Maimonides, found a home in the northern parts of Iberia. Arabic scholars fled to North Africa and across to Egypt. However, Toledo would remain a huge cultural centre during the 12th century where Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars lived and studied side by side.

In this episode, Simon discovers the impact on the holy city of a new faith - Islam. He explores Muhammad's relationship with Jerusalem, the construction of one of Islam's holiest shrines - the Dome of the Rock - and the crusaders' attempts to win it back for Christianity.

Buddhism, one of the most ancient belief systems in the world, is practised by nearly 350 million people today. Presented by Bettany Hughes, this program visits seven of the most famous ancient and modern Buddhist locations in the world.

Presenter Ifor ap Glyn explores the wealth of Britain's extraordinary holy places on a pilgrimage that spans almost 2,000 years of history. Travelling across the breadth of the UK, Ifor will uncover the stories behind many of our most famous sites, explaining the myths and legends of some of Britain's most sacred places. This week, Ifor sets out to understand the appeal of Shrines.